**"Foreign Gods, Inc."** by Okey Ndibe is a novel that follows Ike, a Nigerian-born, New York-based taxi driver, as he struggles with financial hardship and a series of personal setbacks. The novel examines themes of identity, culture, religion, and the immigrant experience.

### Key Themes and Plot Points:

1. **Ike's Struggles in America**: Ike has an Ivy League education, but his strong Nigerian accent prevents him from securing a well-paying job. He’s stuck driving a taxi and dealing with mounting financial pressures, including debts and a failed marriage. Frustrated with the lack of opportunities in America, he searches for a way out of his predicament.

2. **The Scheme to Steal a God**: Desperate for money, Ike devises a plan to return to his hometown in Nigeria and steal a statue of the war god Ngene, worshipped by his people. He plans to sell the statue to Foreign Gods, Inc., an art gallery in New York that specializes in trading religious artifacts from around the world. The gallery thrives on the Western commodification of sacred objects, and Ike sees this as his ticket to financial freedom.

3. **Cultural Conflict**: The novel explores the tension between traditional Nigerian beliefs and Western capitalism. Ike, having lived in the U.S. for years, is disconnected from his cultural roots and struggles with the moral implications of selling a sacred deity for profit. His return to Nigeria forces him to confront his heritage and the changing dynamics in his village, where Christianity is rapidly displacing traditional religion.

4. **Moral and Spiritual Dilemmas**: Ike’s plan is fraught with ethical and spiritual questions. While he hopes to solve his financial problems, he grapples with the potential consequences of desecrating a revered god. The novel explores issues of faith, greed, and the erosion of cultural values in the face of global capitalism.

5. **The Immigrant Experience**: At its core, *Foreign Gods, Inc.* is about the struggles and disillusionment of immigrants who seek the American Dream. Ike’s story highlights the challenges of assimilation, the loss of identity, and the difficulties of reconciling one's past with life in a new country.

Overall, *Foreign Gods, Inc.* is a thought-provoking novel that critiques both the commodification of cultural artifacts and the immigrant experience, with a rich exploration of personal and cultural identity.